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Forest Whitaker is the latest public figure to invest in NBA Africa.
Following in the footsteps of former President Barack Obama, the Academy Award-winning actor recently joined the basketball league's esteemed list of strategic partners.
“I’m thrilled to become a strategic investor in NBA Africa as it plans to grow basketball’s presence across the continent,” Whitaker said in a written statement. “The game of basketball is incredibly inspirational, and my decade working in Africa has shown me how sports can be a transformative method of helping to foster peace, as well as an economic engine for socio-economic development in areas of conflict. I deeply believe in the league’s commitment to youth empowerment and am so excited to work alongside the NBA Africa family.”
Whitaker isn't the only latest addition to the NBA Africa family. The league also announced that author and economist Dr. Dambisa Moyo recently joined NBA Africa as another strategic investor.
“We are delighted to welcome Dambisa and Forest to the NBA Africa family,” NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams said. “They are both accomplished humanitarians whose expertise, resources, and guidance will add tremendous value to our existing investor group. We thank them for their commitment and belief in our efforts to use basketball as an economic growth engine and as a vehicle to positively impact the lives of youth across the continent.”
In July, the NBA announced that Obama had joined NBA Africa as a strategic partner, saying in a press release, "President Obama will help advance the league’s social responsibility efforts across the continent, including programs and partnerships that support greater gender equality and economic inclusion. In this capacity, President Obama will have a minority equity stake in the new venture, which over time he intends to use to fund Obama Foundation youth and leadership programs across Africa."
The NBA announced the formation of NBA Africa in May.
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